Upper-bound limit analysis of MSE walls subjected to strip footing load

Abstract

The paper presents an upper-bound solution for the bearing capacity based on the assumption of a general two-part-wedge (TPW) slip plane in MSE walls subjected to strip footing load. The proposed method is validated against the results from different analytical methods and model tests. Parametric analyses are carried out to study the effects that backfill shear strength, strip footing width and location, and reinforcement design could have on the bearing capacity and failure geometry in MSE walls. Results show that bearing capacity increases with reinforcement length up to l/H = 0.6–0.7, beyond which reinforcement length shows no significant influence on bearing capacity. Predicted elevation of the break point in the geometry of the TPW slip plane is generally lower than 0.5H, except for smaller strip footing widths (e.g. less than 1.0 m).